| 51st (Highland) Division | |
|---|---|
formation patch as worn after 1940 |
|
| Active | 1939-1945 World War II |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Territorial Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Nickname | The Highway Decorators |
| Engagements | Battle of France Battle of El Alamein Sicily Landings Normandy Campaign Battle of the Bulge Operation Veritable Operation Plunder |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Alan Cunningham Neil Ritchie Douglas Wimberley Tom Rennie |
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For the First World War unit, see 51st (Highland) Division (World War I).
The 51st (Highland) Infantry Division was a British Territorial Army division that fought during the Second World War. The division was nicknamed the "Highway Decorators" in reference to the 'HD' insignia which adorned road signs along their axis of advance.
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The 51st Division commanded by Major-General Victor Fortune formed part of the British Expeditionary Force at the start of World War II. With the capture of two of its brigades in France the division effectively ceased to exist. The 9th (Highland) Infantry Division was renumbered as the 51st and subsequently served in the North Africa campaign. From there it went to Sicily before returning to France as part of the invasion of Northern Europe.
After three years of training under Major General Fortune's command, the 51st Infantry Division departed from Southampton and disembarked at Le Havre in mid-January 1940.[1] It was stationed in front of the Ouvrage Hackenberg fortress of the Maginot Line and had thus escaped being encircled with the rest of the BEF at Dunkirk. It was then pulled back to a new line roughly along the River Somme, where it was attached to the French Tenth Army. For some time, it was forced to hold a line four times longer than that which would normally be expected of a division.The Div was attacked very heavily over the 5th/6th June with the major attack initally falling on the 7th Bn Argyl and Sutherland highlanders before the other Bns of the 154 Bde we enveloped. The Argyls lost heavily the worst day in their history. being overwhelmed the Bde was forced to retire to the west. During this period, the 154th Brigade was detached to form "Arkforce" and was able to escape the German drive into central France and Normandy. However, the 152nd and 153rd Brigades were trapped at Saint-Valéry-en-Caux, and surrendered on 12 June, along with the Division's commander. General Fortune was one of the most senior British officers taken prisoner in World War II. He was knighted by King George VI after the war.[2] From the British point of view, the defeat of the 51st Division was the end of the Allied resistance during the battle of France.[2]
Subsequently most were held at Stalag XX-A at Toruń, around 120 miles (190 km) NW of Warsaw. In early 1945 they took part in the Long March, marching around 450 miles (720 km) in the depths of winter to Stalag XIB/357 at Bad Fallingbostel on the Lüneburg Heath, north of Hanover.
On 12 June 2010, Veterans of the 51st Highland Division attended a commemorative ceremony for the 70th Anniversary of the battle at Saint-Valéry-en-Caux.[3]
In August 1940, the British 9th (Highland) Infantry Division, a 2nd Line Territorial Army duplicate of the 51st Division, was converted into the new 51st Division, with the 26th and 27th Brigades redesignated as 152nd and 153rd Brigades, and the 28th being merged with the severely under strength 154th Brigade. Two years of home defence followed on the south coast of England and north-east coast of Scotland.[4]
Arriving in North Africa in June 1942, the new 51st Highland Division experienced its first battle at El Alamein (October–November 1942). It then played a major part in Operation Lightfoot, where it was in the center of the Northern Push, between the Australian 9th Division and the 2nd New Zealand Division. It faced the 21st Panzer Division and some Italian units. Initially unsuccessful during Lightfoot, the minefields it cleared were key in achieving a breakout during Operation Supercharge. It was involved in the battle at Wadi Akarit, Tunisia in early April 1943, and took part in the frontal assault on strongpoints guarded by deep minefields, where it was on the far right of the line. The battalion commander of the 7th Argylls, Lt Col Lorne Campbell, was awarded the Victoria Cross for his leadership during the battle. Later, the division took part in the invasion of Sicily and later, the invasion of Italy. It was then recalled from the 8th Army in Italy, on the wishes of the 8th Army's ex-commander, General Bernard Law Montgomery, together with 7th Armoured Division and 50th (Northumbrian) Division, to prepare for the invasion of North-West Europe. Montgomery later commented "Of the many fine divisions that served under me in the Second World War, none were finer than the Highland division."
When a group of recuperating wounded soldiers of the 51st returned from their North African hospital to rejoin the division in Italy, they were split up instead and ordered to various units and formations totally unrelated to the 51st Division or its component regiments. Some soldiers of the division regarded this as administrative high-handedness and refused to follow these orders. The mutineers were distributed to various units regardless, while ringleaders were sentenced to death.
The 51st Division landed in Normandy on 7 June, as part of I Corps. After spending a brief period supporting 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, it was sent across the Orne River, and spent two months supporting the 6th Airborne Division in its bridgehead. During this period it fought many difficult actions at places such as Breville (11–12 June) and Colombelles (11 July). Its performance in Normandy was, overall, considered disappointing, particularly by General Montgomery, who stated in a telegram to Field Marshal Brooke that the division "had failed every mission it was given".[5] This led to the replacement of its Normandy commander, Major-General D.C. Bullen-Smith, with Major-General Tom Rennie, who had served with the division in France, North Africa and Sicily before being elevated to command of 3rd Infantry Division for the Normandy invasion.[6]
On 1 August 1944 the division, along with the rest of I Corps, became part of the newly-activated First Canadian Army. The division fought alongside this army in Operation Totalize, before advancing to Lisieux. It then continued east over the river Seine and headed, on Montgomery's order[7] for Saint-Valéry-en-Caux, the scene of the division's surrender in June 1940. The division 's massed pipes and drums played in the streets of the town, and a parade included veterans of the 1940 campaign were with the 51st in 1944. A similar event occurred at Dieppe when it was liberated by the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division.
Leaving St Valery, 51st Division was engaged in Operation Astonia, the battle for Le Havre. After the successful capture of the town, the division went on to take part in the Battle of the Scheldt in October 1944, finally passing into reserve and garrisoning the Meuse during the Battle of the Bulge, now as part of XXX Corps. It was not involved in heavy fighting during the early stages of the battle and was deployed as a stopgap in case the Germans broke through. In January 1945 the division, along with the rest of XXX Corps, helped to cut off the northern tip of the German salient, linking up with the US 84th Infantry Division at Nisramont on 14 January.[8] Following this, the division was involved in Operation Veritable, the clearing of the Rhineland and the later Rhine crossings, ending the war in the Bremerhaven area of Northern Germany. During the North-West Europe campaign 51st (Highland) Division had suffered a total of 19,524 battle casualties [9]
Divisional Support Units
Divisional Support Units
The dance was published in the first post-World War II edition (Book Thirteen) of "The Scottish Country Dance Book".